Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 654 — page 10: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

10 water. Enveloped by fog, he swam about, | until he began to give out in strength, trying to find the dory which seemed to have been | swallowed by the fog. | There was a buzzing sound in his head, a : strange thrill shot through his body and he sunk, for the first time. He arose, and then went down once more. This was the last he knew, until he found himself in a strange place, bound hand and foot. The place was not familiar; it reminded him of the cabin of seme sailing vessel; but there was no movement, as of a vessel upon the water. He was lying on a heap of straw. His clothes were still soaking wet, so he knew he could not have been there very long. But, where was he? Hark! a voice! a scream! Dick attempted to rise, but could not, bound as he was by a rope. Again that scream. ‘No! no! Never /” came the cry. ‘By heavens, sometning is going on here that is not right,” Dick growled. ‘Oh, wouldn’t | like to be free!” Raising his voice Dick yelled: sé Help ha Directly a door was opened, and some one entered—no one else than the Kicker, with a lantern in his grasp. ‘‘Hello! here; what’s the matter?” the wretch demanded. ‘¢7 want to be released!” ** How much will you pay?” ‘¢Oh! a hundred, or two.” . ‘Tt won’t work. Five hundred, at the very least.” ‘* Never!” ; “Then you will rot here!” ‘* Rot it is then; I'll get free, in spite of ou.” The Kicker uttered a harsh laugh. ‘‘What object have you in holding me a prisoner?” Dick demanded. ‘To prevent you from meddling in our business.” “Vll meddle with them, and you, too, when I get free. I'll either land you in jail, or, by heavens, I'll kill you!” The Kicker smiled. ‘Barkin’ dogs don’t as a rule bite!” he re- torted. » Then, with an admonition to Dick to keep | still, or take a clubbing he departed, leaving Dick to make the best of his bad situation. That that was bad was soon apparent. The tide was coming in.and the water was ene to ooze through cracks in the oor. — ae i — But let us follow the adventures of Billy Bucket. He found the boat Dick had sent him to and pulled off through the inlet out into the open sea. Unlike Dick, he had long been @ wharf-rat in New York, and could pull an oar like a collegian; so the roughness of the water did not bother him particularly. After arow of amile or s3 he.saw a ves- sel looming up right before him; but, owing to the darkness, he could not make out if she was the cutter or the schooner. As cautiously as possible he paddled about the vessel. She was all dark and silent. No lights were visible anywhere. ‘“Tcan’t seem ter make this out,” mut- tered Billy. ‘‘ Can't be that the gang has deserted the ship?” It surely looked so; not a person was Visi- ble on deck, that was a certainty. Finally, Billy drew up alongside, and, in a jiffy was on deck. for, no sooner was he on deck than he was seized by two burly seamen, who dragged ke down the companionway to the captain's cabin. Deadwood CP a! a i ote fe gi The captain was a fine-looking man, and, although engaged in illicit traffic, was not a ruffian; so, when Billy was brought before him he regarded him kindly, as he asked: “ Well, young man, where do you come from?” ‘‘T come out of a boat!” Billy replied. ‘What were you doing in the boat?” ‘* Rowing, sir.” ‘See here, my lad; you belong to the de- tectives, do you not?” ‘‘ Bet cher life I don’t belong to any of the smuggler gangs,” was the brave retort, « T will take good care you don’t get away from us,” and the captain of the vessel gave orders to have Billy lashed to a mast. This was better than being locked up in the hold, at any rate, decided the boy. Then the captain addressed him again. “] suppose you want to get free?” ‘* Of course I do!” ‘Well, I'll tell you what I'll do. You give me what pointers you know about the detectives, and I'll set you free.” ‘*Nary!” ‘Then you stay confined to that mast un- til you do.” : Day dawned and day passed, but, except for being forced to face the elements, Billy experienced no great inconvenience. True, he couldn’t see ashore, and was worried about Dick and his companions, but he was not subjected to a flogging, as he half-expected he would be. The captain approached him several times, and tried to draw from him what he knew about the detectives, but Billy remained literaily tongue-tied. About eight in the evening the forward watch yelled out: ‘*Boat, ahoy!” ‘“The Creeper!” was the reply. tain Jim Oaks.” ‘Ah, that’s the smuggler chief,” muttered Billy. ‘Jove! I wish I was out of this fix. Thet Oaks is a cuss, from all I can hear.” ' A long row-boat filled with men pulled alongside, and the men came on board. They were indeed Oaks and a part of his gang, and every man was well-armed., For a wonder, Oaks was gaudily attired. He wore a pair of duck pants, a pair of top- boots, a white vest and brown velvet coat. His headgear was a sombrero. The rest of his gang were dressed as usual, in rough fisherman's costume. ‘Why ain’t you ashore?” Oaks demand- ed, in a savage tone. ‘‘Don’t you know your business yet?” “Hold up! That will do!” cried the com- mander of the Shark. ‘‘A little of that in- solence goes a good ways. I command here, do you know?” “Oh! do you? Well, boat?” ‘* Well, I suppose you do.” “Then what authority have you got?” “Tbat of captain. If my command here is not satisfactory, say so, and Pi go ashore.” “Tf you do, it will be as a corpse, my man. Youareatraitor. You are lying 0 here so that the cutter can take the vessel; but, I’ll end that game!” The next instant two pistol reports were heard, and the vessel captain fell, mortally wounded. “T wouldn't give a pinch of snuff for a cent’s worth of my skin,” muttered Billy Bucket, “If that Oaks takes command here, I’m a goner, sure as fate.” And it really looked so. , “Ohuck the noble captain in the hold,” thundered Oaks, ‘‘and let him die there. I am now commander of this vessel, I want ‘« Cap- who owns the But it was a disastrous move on his part, | you to know, and while | own and command here, things will go my way.” Then turning to the mate: ‘Who is that kid at the mast?” ‘‘T don’t know his name, sir.”’ i James F. Hennessey Dick, Jr., Among the Smugglers. | get him?” =~ “Don't know his name? Where'd you ‘‘Not far from here. I reckon, accordin’ to the captain that he was spyin’ on us.”’ “Very likely.” Oaks then advanced toward the young prisoner. Billy expected this, and was prepared for | it. ‘Who are you?” Oaks demanded. ; ‘‘T)’ye mean my name?” ‘“¢ Yés.”’ ‘‘Well, general, I am William Henry Bucket, from New York—a politician, and so forth. On my return to ‘metrop,’ it is probable I may run for mayor, or for hang- man at the Tombs. If you would like ter employ me thusly, just let me know. I think 1 could draw the cord around your head-supporter, and eat a hearty dinner after- ward.” “You are one of that accursed revenue gang!” Oaks declared, ‘‘ and Il make short work of you!” And short work he undoubtedly would have made of the boy prisoner, but, at that moment, a shot was fired by the revenue cutter. It struck the Shark and tore a big hole in the bow. Jim Oaks rushed forward. ‘‘Man the boats!” he cried. In the course of five minutes the crew and smugglers were gone. 5 “Well, I reckon I’m agoner now, for sure,” said Billy, as the vessel began to sink, steadily and rapidly. CHAPTER XIII. . THE DOUBLE DISCOVERY. THE position of Deadwood Dick was in- deed one of peril, for bound and helpless as he was, drowning must surely be his fate. In five minutes’ time he was being sub- merged and his fate seemed sealed at last. In ten minutes more he would surely be covered with water, and drowned. But help came, at the last moment, for the door opened at this juncture, and a woman entered—a handsome woman, too, of com- manding presence. ‘ She carried a lantern, to guide her. ‘‘Didn’t I hear a voice?” she asked. ‘Yes, Help! I shall drown!” cried the bound Dick. ‘‘ Help you shall have!” was the reply. In a few moments Dick was free, and on his feet, thanks to the lady. “Who are you?” he asked, with curi- osity. ‘‘Mrs. Gifford!” was the answer. ‘©A prisoner?” ‘Yes, until a moment ago.” «Did you come on the Shark?” *¢ Yes!’’ ‘Tn search of your child?” ‘* Yes!” was the reply. - ‘‘TDo you know where she is?” “No, not yet!” ‘Do you know the man in whose keeping your child is?” Dick asked. ies ‘Yes, He was once a servant in my hus- band’s employ ;” ‘His name?” ‘Hiram Kick. It was through him that I came to this coast.” } ‘How so? Enticed here, I suppose?” “He wrote me that he had found my daughter, and wanted me to come for her.”' “You came on the Shark, to save time?” “Yes, I was landed last night, toward midnight.” “And seized?” “Yes, I was seized and brought here.” ‘Well, you are lucky to have fared no worse. But, we must get out of here.” “That will be no hard job, do you think?” ‘“‘'That’s a question!” Dick replied. _ Getting out of the cabin was easy enough, and they were soon on deck; but here trouble began. . ~ } sheesh] ~COM. c ‘. > : pdm " ay 4 > et ae 1 m—